The Scariest Roads in the World

Roads connect cities to cities and offer proficient traffic of goods and people. Some roads are friendly but others are not. Some roads are scary and dangerous not because of unexplained forces but because of their true nature. Here is a list of the most dangerous roads in the world.

The Death Road (dailymail.co.uk)

OLD YUNGAS ROAD, BOLIVIA

The 43-mile stretch in Bolivia is considered as one of the world’s scariest and most dangerous road.

The road was constructed in the 1930s by the Paraguayan prisoners of war. Known as El Camino de la Muerte or The Death Road, the road connects La Paz to Coroico with the startling panorama of Amazon rainforest. Yungas Road climbs to around 4,650 meters (15,260 ft) at La Cumbre pass and steadily sliding to 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) at the town of Coroico. The single lane has width of 3.2 meters with no guard rails. Life-threatening ventures include drop-offs, fog, rains, landslides and limited visibility during rainy season and even in summer.

Reports claimed that an estimated 300 people are killed annually. In July, 1983, an overcrowded bus swerved off the side of the road down into the canyon, sending more than 100 passengers to their deaths.

The Karakoram Highway (wonderfulengineering.com)

KARAKORAM HIGHWAY, PAKISTAN

The Karakoram Highway connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range. The highway is elevated at 4,693 meters (15,397ft.) above the sea level.

Also called KKH, it runs 1,300 km (800 mi) through three highest mountain ranges: Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush. The route is one of the ancient Silk Road. The constructions started in 1959 and was completed in 1987. Around 810 Pakistani and 82 Chinese workers died during construction, mostly in landslides.

People who cover the highway said that the road is a challenge because of its twists and turns. The highway is one of the scariest roads due to its unforgiving landscape in the world. Avalanches, snowfalls and landslides make the road difficult for travelers. With no barrier on one side, one wrong move of the driver would result to death.

The Guoliang Tunnel (wowamazing.com)

GUOLIANG TUNNEL ROAD, CHINA

Guoliang Tunnel is located in the Taihang Mountains of the Henan Province, China. The tunnel is stretch into 1.2km, 5m tall and 4m wide. The famous Chinese tunnel road is carved along the side of a mountain with open ends over a rocky cliff.

The tunnel was raised in 1972 to serve the village of Guoliang located high in the Taihang Mountains. Before its construction, the villagers used narrow stairs implanted in the mountainside. The treacherous climb is called Sky Ladder.

Village Chief Shen Mingxin and other twelve villagers pushed the construction of the tunnel done mainly with hand tools. Unfortunately, some died in the process. After five years, the Guoliang Tunnel opened to the public.

The Skippers Canyon Road (driven.co.nz)

SKIPPERS CANYON ROAD, NEW ZEALAND

The Skippers Canyon Road in South Island, New Zealand is a gravel road of 16.5 miles. The road was hand-carved in the middle of a steep cliff by miners in 1883. It is almost not viable for two vehicles to pass each other since the road is basically one way due to its narrowness and steepness.

There are more than 300 accidents recorded annually in the area.

The Sichuan-Tibet Highway (all-that-is-interesting.com)

SICHUAN-TIBET HIGHWAY, CHINA

The Sichuan-Tibet Highway is known as one of the scariest and dangerous roads that seemed to punish travelers. The road is 4,000km-plus loop expanding from Chengdu of Sichuan to Lhasa in Tibet. Originally called Kangding-Tibet Highway, the construction began in 1950 and it was opened for public in 1954.

The highway pass through 14 high mountains, dozens of rivers and primeval forests. There are 99 unnerving twists along a 38km stretch starting at the Yela Mountain which is 4,658 meters high. Drivers must be alert for constant landslides while rain, ice and chills are among the relentless challenges along the way. The road is not cemented which makes it a mud trap during rainy season. Vehicles may even stuck for weeks in the mud.

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